700,000 women faced Post-Abortion Complication in 2012: report

Karachi: Provincial Minister for Women Development, Special Education and Social Welfare Rubina Saadat Qaimkhani on Friday said that unfortunately about 700,000 women in Pakistan went to healthcare facilities for treatment of complications resulting from spontaneous abortions, creating many economic and social problems for women.

She expressed theses views while addressing a seminar on “Post-Abortion Complication and Causes” at a local hotel. The seminar jointly organized by National Committee for Maternal and Neonatal Health (NCMNH), Population Council, Research and Advocacy Fund (RAF).

Rubina Qaimkhani said no legislation about maternal and neonatal health was made by past governments. She said rural areas of Sindh are still deprived basic healthcare facilities and life of women is in miserable condition in these areas. She urged the private healthcare sector to join handd with government for provision of better health-related facilities to them.

She stressed the importance of health mobile units in rural areas equipped with latest healthcare technology with teams of specialist doctor in order to provide better facilities among the masses at their door step. She said most doctors avoid performing duties in rural areas. She recommended the provincial government to announce special incentive for doctors to lure them work in villages.

The Population Council released a report on “Post-Abortion in Pakistan” a national study which outlined ongoing gaps in the quality of post-abortion care following unsafe abortion procedures. This report provide recommendations for promoting safer post-abortion care, expanding access to high quality and affordable family planning services and contraception.

The study found that in 2012, nearly 700,000 women in the country went to health facilities for treatment of complications resulting from spontaneous abortions or induced abortions using unsafe methods or with the assistance of an unskilled provider.

In Pakistan 25 percent women would like to avoid or delay pregnancy, but are not using contraception, and therefore are at risk of unintended pregnancy. As a result, many women resort to induced abortion to end unintended pregnancies. The current law in Pakistan permits abortions to save a women’s lie and to provide necessary treatment.

The report authors recommended five key points like: improve the quality of post-abortion care and expand the use of safer, WHO recommended treatment methods, such as manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) and medication abortion, ensure that health facilities in the public and private sectors are equipped with the technologies they need to provide the full range of post-abortion care, establish a national consensus on provider training and capacity building and promote continued advocacy, ensure facilities that provide post-abortion care are prepared to offer a full range of contraceptive service onset, or in their immediate vicinity, 24 hour a day, seven day a week and develop post-abortion care protocols that care in accordance with the latest scientific developments and are distributed widely to service provider.